CLUTTER CHALLENGE
/ 3Report to Transport Panel 16 November 2004
Author: Louise Warner (01707 356564)
1. Purpose of the report
1.1 To inform members of Hertfordshire County Council’s response to the CPRE’s Clutter Challenge and to discuss the wider issue of the impact of signage and street furniture on movement.
1.2 There is no formal closing date for the CPRE’s Clutter Challenge but the responses will be publicised in early 2005.
2. Background
2.1 Hertfordshire County Council have received an invitation by the CPRE to make commitments on a number of points regarding clutter in the countryside.
2.2 English Heritage are intending to publish guidance on conserving and managing streets later this month which is supported by a public ‘Save Our Streets’ campaign which focuses on urban signage, street furniture and obstructions.
2.3 Hertfordshire County Council needs to consider these sign and street furniture design issues which impact on the success of promoting walking and the impact of accessibility planning.
3. Issues
3.1 Sign clutter has been identified by the CPRE and English Heritage as a key area which needs to be addressed by local authorities. Both the rural and the walking strategies mention this aspect with the following wording:
· undertake rural sign audits.
· minimise obstructive street furniture on pedestrian thoroughfares.
3.2 The introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act last month also brings a renewed interest in ensuring that schemes and measures implemented allow adequate accessibility for all and that street furniture clutter does not impede access.
3.3 HCC has been engaging with disabled groups to take onboard their issues as scheme design can affect positively and negatively their degree of accessibility to facilities and services. In particular, HCC undertook a scheme audit of a selection of Safer Routes to School schemes from a disabled perspective to highlight key issues encountered by disabled users.
3.4 HCC have a duty to undertake Accessibility Planning for inclusion in the Local Transport Plan. This remit will provide an opportunity to map and gather an evidence base for improving accessibility for users to facilities and services and highlight obstructions which prevent users from accessing key services such as healthcare, jobs, food shopping and leisure.
4. Audits
4.1 Sign and street audits are required due to the change in legislation, need and function of the streets concerned. Audits are being heavily promoted by both the CPRE and English Heritage.
4.2 There are a number of actions that HCC should implement as a result of this policy focus on both rural and urban clutter issues:
· HCC will respond to the CPRE’s Clutter Challenge and the draft response is set out in Appendix 1.
· HCC need to review the guidance in Roads in Hertfordshire in light of the new acts and policies introduced as a result of accessibility planning and the Disability Discrimination Act.
· The Rural Group is seeking to publish guidance for rural areas on design issues and the need to minimise clutter in the countryside.
· HCC to continue to contribute to the review of the Environmental Guidelines for the Chilterns AONB.
· HCC to carry out a street audit of signage and street furniture when investigating scheme development.
5. Issues for the panel to consider
5.1 The panel is asked to agree the response to the CPRE’s Clutter
Challenge as set out in Appendix 1.
5.2 The panel is asked to endorse a review of the Roads in Hertfordshire document and to support the Rural Group in publishing a rural design toolkit.
6. Decision Making Process
6.1 This item can be agreed by the Panel without reference to other member processes.
Appendix One
CPRE’s Clutter Challenge – HCC Response
A number of commitments have been asked to be made through answering
the questions outlined below in italics:
Develop a policy in the Local Transport Plan (LTP) to protect and enhance
countryside character, couple with a bid for additional funding in the LTP to
help implement it.
· HCC has a Rural Strategy in the LTP which commits to undertaking sign audits to ensure that countryside clutter is minimised.
Work with landscape professionals, interested groups and the wider public to
develop a traffic management manual and design guide.
· HCC is developing a Rural Toolkit of Solutions to transport issues through its Rural Strategy and steering group which includes Rights of Way Officers, Passenger Transport Officers, Countryside Management Service, Engineers, Rural Transport Partnership.
· HCC is also contributing to a review of the Chilterns AONB Environmental Design Guide.
Undertake a Clutter Audit across the Authority’s area.
· HCC will under a clutter audit as part of the implementation of the Rural Strategy across the countywide. This audit will mainly fall under the remit of the Village Travel Plan concept which looks at traffic, transport and travel issues within a village or parish.
Undertake a clutter free pilot scheme to manage traffic in the countryside
during the first two years of the life of the Local Transport Plan.
· HCC will undertake a pilot scheme in the Chilterns AONB area within the first two years of LTP2.
Write to CPRE informing it of our commitments under the Clutter Challenge
and to issue a press release to help publicise these in the local media.
· HCC will write to CPRE informing them of our commitments as outlined in this paper and to issue a press release on the subject.
Transport Panel 16 November 2004 Item 3 Page 1
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